Tarakonian Wyrms
The Tarakonian Wyrm are large, serpent-like creatures that hails from the ancient Knight World of Tarakon, located in the Ishtar Sub-Sector in the Segmentum Ultima. Often, these large draconic creatures are utilised by the regiments of the Lunar Venatorii Cavalry Regiments of the Astra Militarum and by Knight men at arms as mounted-aerial cavalry. Biology Wyrms from their narrow, golden, large-eyed heads, to their pointed jewel-toned ears, to the magnificent wings which, the wyrm was a thing of multicolored, jeweled beauty, slim and supple and quite as large as the shed, largest getting 45 meters long in the wild. These great creatures came from Tarakon. Their large size and vicious claws give them ample ways to create carnage. The jewel-toned scales deflect las weapons and are tough enough to absorb quite the impact. In order for a Noble to Pilot a Knight or lead a Venatorii Cavalry Regiment one must brave a Wyrm nest and raise a bonded Wyrn, gaining the honored title of Sealgair. Any of the common citizenry who manage to succeed and gain the title of Sealgair shall be allowed to join the House as a Armiger retainer. Only the greatest of warriors produced in the Ishtar Fringe could hope to become bonded to a Wyrm. Those most recently bonded with their Wyrms serve in the Calvary Regiments before being made full Sealgair and get their own Venatorii Cavalry Regiment. They are described as having forked tail ends with a defecation opening between the forks; however, most artistic renderings depict their tails as having spade-shaped tips. Wyrms are described as carnivorous, oviparous, warm-blooded creatures. Like all of Tarakon's native large fauna, they have six limbs – four feet and two wings. Their blood, referred to as ichor, is copper-based and green in color. They have crystalline eyes that change color depending on the Wyrm's mood. Newly hatched Wyrms are the size of very large dogs or small ponies, and reach their full size after eighteen months. Because young Wyrms grow so fast, their riders must regularly apply oil to their hides to prevent the skin from cracking or drying out. A Wyrm's scales are largely, but not entirely, impervious to heat as well, and serve as protection for the more vulnerable flesh and musculature beneath. As a dragon ages, its scales thicken and grow harder, affording even more protection. Its gem-like scales are the color of valuable precious stones of every shade imaginable having a subtle shift of color on any one Wyrm. It is impossible to list the enormous variety of hues that make up the Wyrm's brilliant coloring, but they can be divided into three broad color groupings: Blues, ranging from dark blue to silver and mother-of-pearl; Reds, ranging from copper-red to dark red and reddish-black; Greens, which include every imaginable shade of green and yellow and even dark brown, emerald green and burnished gold. Although these three principal color groups are not usually mixed, a Wyrms's coloring is rarely uniform. In general, it's scales are several hues from one of the main color categories, with a metallic luster which is hard to define. When the scales have a pale, opaque appearance, it is a sure sign of ill health. These Wyrm has powerful limbs with six digits on each foot that end in sharp claws. It has gigantic, elegant wings. A ragged, membranous crest runs from its shoulders to the tip of its tail. This dragon's head is wide and it has a mouth that takes up most of its face. This dragon has strange membranes that function as ears. It has large slitted nostrils located close together. The back of these Wyrm's head and neck is protected by thick bone. The Wyrm is a homoiothermic reptile. In other words, it is a warm-blooded creature and it's body temperature is controlled internally. This characteristic enables it to adapt to the different climates of it's very extensive habitat and to maintain it's activities both day and night throughout the year, as it is not dependent on the warmth from the sun like the other reptiles. The dragon is the largest known flying creature on Tarakon. To maintain it's enormous bulk in the air, it's physical structure has had to be different from that of other reptiles. It's wing bones fit on to broad shoulders which support the powerful wing muscles; these require an extraordinary articulator system unknown in other species. The bones are tougher than reinforced plascrete and much lighter. It is important to note that the bones of a Wyrm are hollow like bird reducing their mass, scientifically: any creature with the physiology of a Wyrm can flight well and at great speed. The Wyrms muscular system is one of the most fascinating and one of the most complicated. Magos Biologis have evaluated the power in the bite of a Wyrm to put to an average of 2 ton per cm cube (in comparison it could easily gnaw plasteel). As a matter of fact, Wyrms are very powerful. Their leg and "arm" can support great charge without much difficulty. The scales are pentagonal, and shaped like a teardrop, with two long sides and two shorter ones, and a very short fifth side attached to the skin. The Wyrm can make them stand on end whenever he likes to preen them. Remember, the Wyrm is a very clean creature and takes great care always to keep it's skin and scales clean and immaculate. In their normal position, the scales overlap very neatly and, thanks to a tiny cavity in the surface, they fit into each other to allow perfect freedom of movement. Magos Biologis close study of a scale, observed the following characteristics: the innermost part is composed of a compact hairy formation firmly rooted in the epidermis. On the hair follicle there are some tiny glands which secrete a substance that adheres firmly to the skin. This substance is rich in minerals, which determine the hardness and the color of the Wyrm's scales. The external surface has a horny, translucent texture, which gives the scales their habitual luster. The Wyrm does not need to sloughs off his skin like most other reptiles, as the scales grow, they are renewed automatically, like human nails and hair. They are not shed from the body, except in case of illness. There is no retina for their eyes but instead the light receptors are distributed homogeneously in the eyes. This means a photoreceptor near the surface can see the object far away and you go deeper into the eyes, the photoreceptors are able to view objects that are closer. This would also means that the eyes are always focused no matter the distance of the object. Wyrms with crystalline eyes have an angle of vision around 220 degree (i.e. the eyes slightly on the side) and an overlaps of 110 degree. The object inside the overlapping degrees of both eyes would greatly increase the resolution of the object while the remaining angle of vision would be less defined (but much better defined than the visual acuity of the corner of our eyes). The degree where the vision of the dragon overlap would be equivalent to the area of sharpest focus and would be obviously much greater than a human's. The reproductive system of these creatures is internal, it means that at the look of their external physiognomy, it is hard (not to say nearly impossible) to determine if this Wyrm is a male or a female, only the general behavior and the small change in their color can provide informations about the Wyrm's gender. Wyrms lead egg like reptiles and bird, eggs are protected by a hard shell that with time will weaken to let the new baby dragon break it more easily. The incubation period of these creatures is mostly unknown. The Wyrms eggs are rich in calcium and it is supposed that the newborn Wyrms eat is shell to not waste the nutriment in it. The mating process is known as Wyrm-slide: the two partners fly high in the sky and after a moment they grab each other and close their wing and make free-fall. Then at less than a hundred feet from the ground they open their wing and land. Relationships and Uses Once a Wyrm has bonded with a rider, that Wyrm will not allow anyone else to mount it while its rider lives, no matter how familiar said person might be to the Wyrm, although they are willing to accept another person upon their backs when their own rider has mounted as well. When the rider of a Wyrm dies, that Wyrm can bond with a new rider. The Lunar Venatorii Cavalry use these Wyrm Riders for Aerial combat and as elite forces. The Wyrm rider is able to keep an eye out on spots that Wyrms normally can't see as well, including above and behind. Wyrms being apex predators are not normally inclined to look above or behind them when in flight and this is the primary method of attack during Wyrm on Wyrm combat. Those mounted on Wyrms are sharpshooters able to kill enemy Wyrm riders before they have a chance to report back and able to target enemy commanders from Wyrm back with their pistols. Always having an eye out enemy sharpshooters targeting fellow Wyrm riders. This is the best way to eliminate a Wyrm rider or Wyrm so they pay particular attention the field of battle with Sharpshooters. The Wyrms, themselves, are used in strafing infantry, or scouting. Their job is to climb high in the sky and then dive straight at an enemy Wyrm, aircraft, or formation. Dropping grenades and bombs from Wyrm back as well as targeting enemy commanders in dives are effective ways for the Wyrm Riders to fight while in flight. But as well the Wyrms ferocious teeth and claws make especially effective weapons in melee situations besides the melta tipped lance they carry. Category:Creatures Category:TechCaptain